Etymograph

English

tavern

Tavern comes from Old French taverne ‘wine shop’, from Latin taberna ‘inn’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *treb- ‘wooden beam’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*treb-‘wooden beam’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trabs‘wooden beam’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrabs‘tree trunk, beam’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtaberna‘inn’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400taverne‘wine shop’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘bar, pub’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1590tavern

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*treb-‘wooden beam’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*trabs‘wooden beam’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtrabs‘tree trunk, beam’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtaberna‘inn’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400taverne‘wine shop’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘bar, pub’
  7. Englishearliest quotation c. 1590tavern

Earliest quotation: c. 1590, John Lyly, Mother Bombie. […]: “I maruell I heare no nevves of Dromio, either…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *treb- ‘wooden beam’

troop, troupe, 14 more

through Latin taberna ‘inn’

tabernacle, 6 more

Today it means

noun A restaurant or bar.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *treb- / tavern

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